Eidetic
by Lone-ranger1
Summary: What if the Doppelganger entity didn't take Rodney in the end? What if it decided someone else had deeper fears? John's about to get a little closer than he'd like to his new CO and neither's thrilled with the idea. GEN.
1. Chapter 1

**Eidetic**

* * *

_–adjective _

_1. of, pertaining to, or constituting visual imagery vividly experienced and readily reproducible with great accuracy and in great detail._

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_**Premise: **What if the Doppelganger entity didn't take Rodney in the end? What if it decided someone else had deeper, darker fears that could sustain it for longer? John's about to get a little closer than he'd prefer to his commanding officer and neither is really thrilled with the idea._

_A few changes have been made to the original episode which always bugged me. You'll see when you get there._

_**Warnings:** Disturbing themes, quirky humor, friendship._

_------------------_

Sitting with the intercom button switched on but covered by rubber, John Sheppard sighed and asked. "You're sure?"

Samantha Carter nodded; it felt so impersonal to talk to her second in command from behind a plate of glass. Then again it wasn't everyday she was locked inside a grounded rubber room to ensure the energy being that had taken up residence in her cranium didn't get away. "I've been thinking about it… and it's the only way. If it has enough control over a person's mind to kill them…" Sam sighed softly. She was obviously still grieving over the recent crisis. "…Well… I'd rather have some backup I can count on."

John turned away from Sam a little bashfully. It wasn't everyday his commanding officer literally invited him into her mind. Looking around, he could see Rodney and Jennifer both watching worriedly, but out of earshot. Ronon and Teyla were closer, both likely being able to hear the conversation clearly even from across the room. John had been killing himself trying to figure out some way of getting through to this entity, but evidently he and Sam were on the same wavelength and she'd thought of something first.

Now he'd just agreed to help Sam with a rather unique problem, "… I'll call the SGC; get them to send us the equipment we'll need."

Sam nodded, and the conversation ended. John moved away from the isolation window with the two-way intercom and regretted ever having touched that damn crystal. Things had just _not_ been going right ever since Heightmeyer's death. The entire expedition was terrified over what might happen to them.

Now he was about to try and help Sam reason with Freddy Krueger's Pegasus cousin. Somewhere out there, someone was laughing at him and John was starting to get really annoyed.

* * *

John leaned over the sink of the washroom in his room listening to Rodney's attempt at support. The tired look in his eyes belied just how unnerving this whole thing was. "You're sure, Sheppard? I mean… Okay, I'm not saying I'm any better at this because I'm obviously not, but you do realize you're going into Samantha Carter's mind, don't you?"

John shrugged and splashed some water on his face. This wasn't exactly his typical goodnight routine but he figured he should mentally prepare himself for what was coming. "Isn't it just her subconscious?"

Rodney's hand spoke at the same rate he did as they flailed in front of him. "Even worse! You know better than _I _do the kinds of things soldiers are scared of!"

Taking a moment to think about that, John wiped his face down with a towel. "Be that as it may, I don't think it'd reflect too well on us if we lose two expedition leaders in two months." It was a bit of a low blow, but John was feeling it just as badly as Rodney now felt it. Rodney missed Elizabeth, too. John could tell from the subtle difference in how his friend acted around those he cared about. John was _not_ about to lose another leader without putting up a damn good fight.

Rodney merely pursed his lips, and then added. "Just… be careful. I know Sam's really hot and all, but you've got to remember that she's been through a lot in the SGC."

John set the towel down on the shelf next to the sink and groaned softly. Rodney always had a way of worsening a situation.

* * *

Sam turned to John who was lying on the bed next to her, a gaggle of medical staff in insulated suits worked around them setting the machinery up to allow John to take an active part in Sam's dreams. "This technology is untested, you know?"

John turned to Sam and fidgeted as Jennifer attached the wiring to his temple. "Yep."

"We only use it for VR training and have no way of telling what the effects on dreams are."

John nodded once. "I know."

"You don't have to do this."

That was the question in John's mind as well. He _didn't_ have to do this. "Can we just get this over with?" He stared at Sam with an exasperated look.

Sam caught the hint that he wasn't sure at all but he was going to do it anyway instantly, and turned back towards the ceiling. "Alright… but just a warning…" She turned back to John, this time a bit more worried.

The sub communication was obvious and John understood immediately. Sam was warning him that he might be in store for some dark things. "I know."

Whether she was paying attention to the conversation or not, Jennifer walked around towards where an IV had been hooked into Sam's arm."We're ready when you are." John and Sam shared another small look and a final unsure nod. Sam looked to Jennifer who nodded seeing the consent. "Alright… administering sedative."

The medicine slowly entered Sam's system, and within a minute, she'd gone to sleep. John took deep breaths. He'd never used this technology before despite Sam's claim that they used it to VR train soldiers. He looked out into the isolation room and saw his team watching over. Worried, obviously they weren't sure at all about the situation.

John just didn't want another death on his conscience especially not after Teyla came to his room after Kate died. He waited a few minutes then noticed Rodney and Radek working on the device hooking him and Sam together. He saw several lights come on, but nothing changed for him. "Uhh, doc?" he looked at Jennifer who turned to face him. "Nothing's happening."

Jennifer's lips twisted into bemusement. "She's not dreaming yet. The sedative should put her in REM soon. Just wait and be ready."

As good an answer as any he'd get, and now, all that was left was waiting… and waiting… and waiting…

* * *

Nervousness and anxiety were the two defining traits of a well seasoned soldier. Not that they didn't have them, no no. The reason they were the defining characteristics were that a soldier needed to control them. A soldier needed to maintain a cool head if they wanted to keep that head on their shoulders.

That wasn't at all what Sam was feeling now. Not with a day and a half of sweat on her body, her hair tied back fiercely into a bun, and a slowly healing scar on the side of her face. Her Atlantis Jumpsuit stank of sweat, blood, and gunpowder from fighting. Sam's throat was parched and body sore from the action of days past, and now the lack of rest. "Come on, Rodney. Shunt the power from the shields if you have to!"

On the bridge of the _Daedalus_, the smell of blood and burnt wires filled the air even after three days. John was at the helm piloting through hyperspace, his black clothing dirty with dust and blood, Major Marks having taken over the more complicated navigation and operations terminal behind the main command chair.

Sam sat in the commander's chair. Caldwell was gone, Ronon and Teyla were gone, half the crew of _Daedalus_ had been killed in the attack. But what was worse was the fact that it had only been a diversion. Just keeping the one ship Atlantis had from defending it and now Atlantis was gone, along with everyone on it.

Rodney's voice came through the intercom, obviously aggravated. _"I can't push it any harder, Sam! The engines weren't meant to be used like this and they'll fly apart!"_

Sam hardly contained her scream. "Then _fly them apart!_ We need to get to Earth _now,_ Rodney!"

A ZPM hardly made a difference at this point. They'd been away when it happened, and the attack had crippled the ship. Sam couldn't remember the last time she'd had any sleep, and even worse, they'd lost Lorne, Cadman and a dozen others attacking Asuras _again_ to steal this ZPM.

A good commander loves the people under their command, but a great one was willing to sacrifice what they loved. Sam couldn't help but tremble at the thought that she must have been an outstanding commander… but still on the losing side.

Coming out of hyperspace, the craft lurched as it decelerated much faster than the inertial dampeners could compensate for. Sam held onto the seat and looked out towards their intended target.

Instead, she saw a jagged piece of burnt metal heading towards _Daedalus,_ the name _Odyssey_ emblazoned along the side of it. She got up and walked forward to take a closer look as the burnt hull plating bounce off _Daedalus's _shields, the rest scattered around like a light bulb that had shattered in zero gravity. There were at least six hives around Earth, all firing, all bombing her home from orbit, and there was nothing she could do about it anymore. "_No…"_

"Cool." To her shock and horror, John, who was sitting at the helm seemed impressed; his face twisted into a devious smile.

Sam was speechless, she looked down at the long range sensors and saw thousands of Darts flying down, so many more than she would have ever thought to see in her life. There were so many that if every last fighter and AAA weapon Earth had were used, there would still be enough to blanket a city.

Her home, her family, the place she'd spent the last eleven years of her life fighting for and defending had fallen and were being consumed by the swarm of locusts that were the Wraith.

"Sam? What's going on?"

She turned at the familiar voice, and suddenly things didn't seem so clear anymore. "John?" He was standing behind the command chair, the others hardly paying attention. This other John looked pristine, wearing his typical black BDU's that she'd found he kept a secret supply of and insisted on having. The _'John'_ behind the helm turned and looked at his doppelganger. "What the?"

The new John raised his hands in sincerity. "Sam! It's not real, you're _dreaming. _This _isn't_ real."

The _John_ at the helm chuckled and shook his head as he got up. "Huh, this might get interesting."

* * *

**A/N:** _Interesting it shall get… remember to alert! Only 6 chapters total :)  
_


	2. Chapter 2

Sam was just about to ask something, _what_ she didn't know, but all of a sudden things changed in a strange morphing effect. The entire reality around her seemed to phase in and out, and suddenly, they were inside the SGC.

The concrete walls were painted with red light, the alarms were going off and the sounds of gunfire were rampant. Sam instantly went on guard, how had she gotten here? What had just happened? Her mind was going a mile a minute and going nowhere fast. Recall told her she was a few levels above the Gate Room, right around the place where her old lab used to be. "John?"

To the side, John's voice replied. "I'm here…" Sam turned to look at him and he again tried to look sincere. He was still in his black BDU's but the sleeves weren't rolled up anymore. "We're inside your head, Sam… remember? Maybe we should look around."

Sam blinked a few times then nodded as the memory surfaced. "Yeah… yeah, yeah I remember." She rubbed her face, surprised that she wasn't hurt anymore and her hair was its typical tied back ponytail instead of tightly wrapped in a bun. She wasn't wearing an Atlantis jumpsuit either anymore, now clothed in green camo BDU pants and a black undervest shirt, she found herself remembering wearing it all the time at the SGC. "Were we just…?"

John moved closer to Sam; something was very wrong here and she just couldn't put her finger on it. "Yeah. _Daedalus._ What was that?"

Sam thought about it for a second and then banished the thought. "Nothing… Let's go."

A little surprised at how fast she'd recovered from apparently seeing Earth being culled, Sam took the lead.

The SGC was empty, but sound still travelled well in the concrete bunker. Screams, gunfire, and a strange whirring. John stayed behind her, watching the rear. "We should find out what's going on, just in case."

Sam felt that strong urge too, but something kept bugging her. "But this is a dream isn't it? This isn't the real SGC. Why would we need…?"

"Sam!" Sam had just entered her old lab and was shocked to see John inside _again_. _This_ John was in the same BDU's, except his sleeves were rolled up and the little wrist band was visible. "Don't listen to him! He's the crystal thing!"

Turning around, Sam saw that the other John that had been with her was gone. Confused was too simple a word. "What the? What _is_ this?"

John rifled through the cabinets to the side as Sam entered obviously very befuddled. Sam saw so many of her old things here, the old Naquadah reactor she'd torn apart to find out how it worked, the wrench set she used to fix her old Indian along with Siler. Even a few odd pictures that she _knew_ she'd brought with her to Atlantis. "You're askin' me? It's your dream!" Throwing files and books to the side, John continued to trash Sam's old lab.

Sam for that matter winced and tersely chided. "Would you _quit_ that? You're making a mess! What're you looking for?"

"A gun or a bomb or something. This thing isn't fightin' fair and I wanna be ready."

Sam raised an eyebrow at the odd phrase. "And you're trashing my lab to find one?"

Turning to her with an exasperated face, John motioned around. "Is any of it _real?_ It's _just a dream._"

Huffing, Sam moved over to where she kept her hidden weapon taped under the desk. "I _invited_ you into my head to _help_, not trash the place up. And besides, what's a _gun_ going to do against an energy based entity in a dream world?"

John heard a strange sound of something clicking open, turned, and saw Sam ready with a strange snake like device in her hand. "Whoa, what's that?"

Sam pulled out another from under the desk and tossed it to John. "It's a Zat'ni'ka'tel. Zat for short. Just hold it like…"

While she spoke, John figured the weapon out and the firing function shot up. "Nice. What's it shoot?"

"It works by using a focused beam to transmit a…"

John held a hand up and waved Sam's explanation off. "You can tell me _all_ about it once we get outta this." He realized that Sam had just pulled one over him and gave her a quick look. "Hey, I thought you said…"

Sam snorted softly, but still there was a strong feeling of dread around this place. "I know what I said, but you're right. Even if it's pointless just having it makes me feel a little better." Sam closed her eyes and tried to banish the image of Earth being culled from her mind. "Okay, I'm guessing that the entity is trying to recreate things from my memories and subconscious. I don't think this is going to be easy, John."

"Not doin' it because I thought it would be easy." Looking back at her as he moved forward to the doorway where the alarms and flashing lights still rang through, John said. "So Earth, huh?"

Sam reached into another closet, this one with clothing and BDU's inside. She put one of the black uniforms on and nodded. "Yeah… guess it's one of those things I try not to think about."

John nodded and motioned with his head to move out into the hallway. "Least it's not McKay's head we're in. I can't imagine what he'd have."

Sam raised an eyebrow and pointed to the doorway. "Don't think we're out of the woods yet."

John turned back to the doorway, just in time to see a toaster with wings fly by as if it was meant to be there. John peered out and followed its path with his vision. It stopped at an intersection, looked both ways, then turned and flew away to the right. John stood there in the hallway for a second before turning with exaggerated slowness towards Sam.

Sam grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "First screensaver, sorry."

Rolling his eyes, John merely motioned to Sam to take the lead. Now armed and evidently dangerous, Sam led Sheppard down the corridors of the SGC. The alarms kept going off, and the area was bathed in a red glow. The sound was oddly not bothersome. "Any ideas?"

John shrugged as he watched the rear. "Not a clue."

Sam sighed and continued moving forward, now nearing an intersection that would lead them to the surface. "Guess I should have paid more attention to Friday the 13th."

Snorting, John turned his head as he thought he heard gunfire. "Nightmare on Elm Street."

"Pardon?" Sam turned curiously to John. She was still having trouble distinguishing this from the real world, and the fact that they were having such a weird conversation only added to the effect. "Elm Street?"

John nodded. "Freddy was in Nightmare, Jason was in Friday."

Shuddering, Sam turned back and took a cover position by the corner ready to peek around it. "Never was one for horror movies." Nodding to John, they both quickly took their positions and popped out around the corner. There wasn't much, but a body lay on the floor with a handgun next to him.

John maintained his watch of their flank, Sam now moving forward with her weapon drawn and ready to fire. She quickly reached the body and with her foot, rolled it over.

"_Saaaam."_

Startled, Sam gasped and bumped into John's back. John instantly spun around and aimed, but saw that the body on the floor wasn't dead yet. "_Holy_…"

_"Daniel…?" _

Doctor Daniel Jackson lay on the floor, his skin wrinkled and hair white. John instantly recognized it. "He's been fed on… Wraith." Daniel continued to hiss as he tried to speak, it was heart wrenching to see him struggle to lift his hand towards Sam.

Sam was shaking, she couldn't bear to see her friend like that, but at the same time, she kept on repeating to herself: _Just a dream… just a dream…" _John saw Sam slowly turn towards him, she was obviously disturbed by the find and her face didn't do a good job of hiding it. "It's not real… none of this is… we need to find the entity and stop this."

John nodded. Even _he_ was disturbed by what this entity was willing to do. "Agreed… let's go…"

As they continued to move forward, Daniel's voice cried out desperately. _"Sam… Sam! Help… me!"_

For a long time, John had only half believed Rodney's stories about how tough Samantha Carter was. But seeing her quite literally in front of his eyes shut down her emotions and leave the vision of her former teammate, John knew Rodney had been _understating_ it.

Neither of them said anything, both just kept moving forward into the dream-SGC. John quickly noted that despite the sounds of combat and action, there was no real damage or evidence of a fight here. He waited until they'd moved clear from the sight of dream-Daniel to speak. "Where is everyone?"

Sam understood instantly and kept her voice calm and collected. "I think it's just trying to scare us. It's taking my memories and trying to make…" She didn't finish and instead just trailed off. John understood she was concentrating too hard on _not_ being scared to think things through easily.

John tried to reassure her with more pleasant memories. "Yeah… tell ya what, once we get outta this, we'll go for a joyride in a Jumper."

Sam stopped in her tracks and turned with a bemused look to Sheppard. Her expression was a mix of amusement and pity. "I'll settle for a good night's sleep."

* * *

It became quickly apparent to Sam that they were lost, and even worse, this wasn't the same SGC where she'd spent the last ten years working. The winding corridors led nowhere, and it'd been… Sam shook her head clear of the confusion. "How long have we been walking?"

John looked around, his neck craning around. He instinctually checked his wrist and realized he had no watch on. "Uhh…Good question."

Sam huffed and decided to keep moving. The sounds of combat had begun to die down, but that just made her more nervous. Sound was something she liked, and slowly it was all fading away. John remained silent, just backing her up. She almost wished he'd make another pithy remark.

"So if you don't like horror, what do you like?"

Sam smiled. Perhaps the subconscious link between them did more than just allow him to interact in her dream. "Well… action and sci-fi are out. Too much like my day job." John snorted, obviously he agreed. "Anything that doesn't have machines is out too. I like my fiction within this or maybe the next century."

John moved ahead and peeked around the next corner, probably their fiftieth so far. "Picky. At least you know what you like." He turned back to Sam with an expectant face. "Which is…?"

Sam snickered a little. The stories she'd heard of John were starting to come true. "Musicals, Comedy, Maybe a little romance. My life has enough of the rest." Unable to find a reply, John simply stayed silent. He took the lead now, allowing Sam to take a rest and watch the rear. He wasn't expecting her to continue. "So you like horror, huh?" John turned and gave her the same bemused look she'd given him. Sam gave him a shrug and said. "Humor me, I think it'll help right now."

John snorted softly and turned back to move forward. "Horror not so much anymore. I'm with you on comedy, but I think the last time I saw a musical it was in a high school auditorium."

Sam stifled her snort and sighed contentedly. "Lovely."

The lights suddenly went completely out. Both Air Force soldiers spun to face each other but saw nothing in the pitch black. John called out a little louder than necessary. "Carter?"

"I'm here… What's…?"

A sudden flash of light at the other end of the hallway appeared. Elevator doors where there was no elevator before. The ground rumbled and the lights above them flickered, dust falling from the cracks in the ceiling and walls.

The elevator doors opened revealing a backdraft of flame and smell of sulfur. A sickly looking man in white robes holding a staff with a crystal on top stepped out, unharmed by the firestorm around him. The random lighting created a strobe effect, and John could swear everything was going in slow motion as he moved around.

John had never seen a Prior face to face before, though he had seen the Ori followers during his stint at the SGC when the Lanteans took back control of Atlantis. Even so, he could easily tell it wasn't friendly. He raised his Zat to prepare to fire, but Sam had already begun to fire. _"Shoot him, John!"_

The Prior held his staff before him and as John and Sam took cover on the walls, the zat shots they fired simply spread along the Prior doing no damage whatsoever. The Prior took slow steps forward, uncaring of anything heading towards him. He used one hand to take off his hood, and then looked at both soldiers still shooting at him.

Sam could tell what was coming and screamed. "_Run!"_

John didn't hesitate and fired off one more shot before turning and covering Sam's tactical retreat, both firing as they backpedaled.

The Prior's face turned into an awed expression, and he extended his staff.

Both Sam and John's feet suddenly lifted off the ground, and they floated in mid-air. John instinctively tried to swim away, but it was no use. Sam kept on firing, now terrified over what she thought was about to happen. John turned to her and screamed. _"It's not real, Sam! It's not real!"_

The Prior moved closer to them, and hissed in a demonic voice. ""Hallowed… are… the Ori… Be purified in the flames of Origin."

Before either John or Sam could react, the flames surrounding the Ori spread out and enveloped them both.

* * *

** A/n:** _Eek._


	3. Chapter 3

Sam screamed unremorsefully as she felt the flames burn through her clothing and lick at her skin. She could hear John screaming in agony too as the Prior's flames '_purified'_ them. She'd burned herself before, a too-hot skillet, a curling iron. But never on a level such as this. What made this even worse was knowing exactly how the human body reacted to flame _as_ she experienced it.

Desperately, Sam tried to protect her face, it was taking so long that she could even feel her eyelashes simply flash out of existence. She had just begun to finally lose consciousness when all of a sudden, the lights went out again and she felt a cold rush of air blow away the flames. It took a second to realize it, but she'd been flung like a ragdoll.

As she flew down the hallway, the lights turned on in sequence like a landing pad, John was next to her, his hands in the same facial protective position. The smoke and embers were still falling off him revealing a pristine John Sheppard underneath. The pain was gone, but the memory was still fresh and agonizing.

In only seconds, the lights showed the elevator doors where the Prior had been open up, and both John and Sam barreled in and slammed against the wall. Crumpled up in a bruised heap of groaning limbs, neither could react fast enough to get out of the now pitch black elevator.

There was no sound other than their panting and frightened shuddering. Sam felt around her, finally finding John's head around her ankles. "_John?"_

John's breathing had begun to slow, and he noticed that Sam was trembling just as much as he was. "Yeah… yeah I…_Jesus Christ._ You okay?"

Sam didn't know how to answer. So instead she just felt around and found John's hand. Squeezing it tightly, she both reassured herself and her second in command that she was still alive, and still coherent.

The still darkness was tremendously haunting. The sounds of combat had gone, nothing of light existed in the elevator and quickly both soldiers became disoriented. It was made even worse by the amplification of their senses in the environment, hearing each other's teeth chattering and throat noises. John could see just how badly the event had disturbed Sam, so _carefully_ following her hand, he found her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "We'll get outta this… it's_ just_ a dream, Sam…"

Sam's voice was faltering a little, but she'd quickly composed herself somewhat. "Just a dream that could kill me." Not letting John get another word in edgewise, she took his hand again and said. "Let's find a way outta here… the sooner we can figure out how to communicate with this thing… the better."

John said nothing to that, but he could feel the cold clammy sweat on Sam's hand. He squeezed it a little tighter to try and reassure her, but without being able to see her face, it was just impossible to tell whether it worked. Following her lead, John promptly walked smack dab into the wall. "Ow."

"Sorry… Try and find the door or buttons. Maybe we can get out that way."

Looking around proved disorienting, almost like getting motion sickness. "I don't think it matters… Something tells me we're only gonna get out when _it's _ready." Realizing he was just depressing the situation, John tried to lighten the mood as usual. "So what are you gonna do when we get outta this?"

Sam easily caught the attempt at reassurance, and answered tersely. "Take a long shower and get rid of any crystals in my room."

John resisted chuckling. The memory of burning alive was still fresh and it was difficult to think of anything else in this situation. He felt around the walls with his right hand, his left firmly in Sam's iron grip. He oddly mused that up until now, only Teyla had ever given him such a strong grip.

They had to keep talking, the silence and closing in feeling of the room was terrifying. "Remind me to tell Ronon to keep me on a leash."

No laughter, but Sam's voice was low. "It's not your fault John."

He'd heard that before, John tried to mask his scoff but in the still darkness, it was too plain to tell. "_I'm_ the one that touched that damn crystal. And now we're stuck in your head."

As if responding to his exclamation, the doors to their left suddenly opened and a brilliant light filtered was so bright that they couldn't keep their eyes open and both covered them with their hands.

A familiar sound, the stargate, and at a much faster than normal rate, their eyes adjusted to the flashing blue light.

"It's your world... but _our_ carrots!" The voice came from the side, where a dark figure loomed over them. Sam jerked away and pushed John through some strange thick barrier in the air. Tumbling down, they hit the floor and again groaned in pain.

John managed to regain his balance, and turned to Sam on the ground. "The hell was that?"

Sam rubbed her forehead and sighed. "Recurring dream. I've got no clue either." Looking around, Sam realized that the light was gone, and they'd moved further than should have been possible. They weren't inside the elevator anymore, now they were in the SGC gateroom, and the stargate was activated and shaking.

Sam shook her head clear, and let go of John's hand. The place was empty, only a few consoles were working but the chairs were covered in empty clothes. Sam didn't understand it.

John looked around too, and he quickly remembered something an old girlfriend in highschool told him. "The hell? Is it the rapture?"

Turning to John irritatedly, Sam chided. "You're _not_ helping."

Shrugging, John moved over to the console where Sam now tried to figure out what was going on. just as he did though, a loud bang and shudder came from the gate room. Sam looked up and saw the Stargate again shaking, only this time the Iris itself seemed to be vibrating. "What the hell?"

The Iris continued to vibrate, and Sam just stared now. John watched and could see that Sam was just cataloguing in her head the horrors that were about to come through. He was about to say something when the sounds grew demonically louds inside the gate rom.

The Iris shattered like a glass pane hit with a baseball, and the shards of metal flew out like a fragmentation grenade. A particularly large shard slammed into the bullet resistant glass of the control room and punctured through, coming within inches of Sam's throat. She fell back in shock, joined by John who had been knocked back by the blast as well.

Groaning as they rolled to their feet, Sam took a hold of John's arm to pull herself up. John could see that Sam had been startled, and slowly her control was starting to wane. But she wasn't paying attention to him or even the shard of titanium that had spiderweb shattered the glass. She was staring through the still clear cracks of the glass, and what was in the gateroom.

John turned to look, and saw what looked like Sam on the ramp, although this one wore somewhat more modern style leathers. There were a ton of small mechanical spiders walking past her, but most alarming was the fact that General O'Neill and Teal'c were on their knees, obviously in a prisoner position in front of her. "The hell?"

"No… we _killed _her… it's not real… not real." Sam kept repeating the mantra, but she still couldn't tear her gaze away,

"_Wow! _She's hot!" Both John and Sam turned to the voice, where the other John was standing to the side. They jumped back in shock, and the other John simply shrugged and quipped. "What? She is."

"Colonel Carter!" Sam was in too much shock to think clearly, so she followed the voice back down to the gateroom, the glass now clearer from her position. The black leather clad Carter on the ramp called out. "I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me."

Teal'c was badly beaten, his face was swollen and his wrists cut deep with restraints. His voice was faltering as he screamed. "Do not listen, Colonel Carter! You must stop h…" Teal'c didn't get another word in edgewise, as the Carter on the ramp morphed one arm into a long blade and rammed it through Teal'c's chest from behind.

Sam couldn't help it anymore and pounded on the glass with her fists, desperate as she watched her friend gibber and bleed from the mortal wound _"NO!"_

John tried to think of something to do, but the situation was so different than anything he knew. He moved forward to punch at the other John. It proved futile as the other John just reached out, caught his fist and span him out any effort, the entity spun him back like a ballerina and lifted him from his collar. "Uh uh uh… Watch."

Sam showed remarkable strength as she finished shattering the glass and now kicked it out of its frame. It was too late though and General O'Neill screamed. "_Blow the base, Carter! Don't let the bit…" _With a loud guttural sound, O'Neill was impaled from behind as well, his expression turning to shock and anguish. RepliCarter let both men fall face first to the ground, now simply smiling up at Sam as she cried unrepentantly and finished kicking out the window.

John could see that Sam had snapped, and he turned back to the other John. "Why are you doing this?"

Sam sobbed, but John could see that she was more furious and primal than simply emotional. She quickly tapped some buttons into the control room console, now ignoring that John or the other John was there. The red alarms began to sound and a voice over the PA called out. _"Self-destruct in 30 seconds."_

Sam now vaulted over the control console and rushed towards RepliCarter and her two dead friends. RepliCarter laughed and simply backpedaled into the Stargate, apparently using it as a two way system.

Sam didn't follow, instead more concerned with her friends rather than the bug-form replicators or the counting down self-destruct. The countdown continued, and the other John carried John to the broken glass pane ignoring all attempts of his to struggle free.

The countdown was nearing zero, and the other John turned a face devoid of any emotion but pleasure to him. "Because I can."

Without anymore words, the other John coiled back and flung John like he were just some paper airplane, John had no control and he gave a scream of shock as he barreled into Sam on the gateroom ramp, his inertia enough to shove both of them through the active stargate.

Silence. Again a complete lack of any stimuli except the sound of his own breathing… and he couldn't hear Sam's anymore.

* * *

**A/n:** _O noes!_


	4. Chapter 4

"Her heart rate's going up. His too… whatever's happening must be really intense."

Rodney tugged on his hair. The woman of his dreams was in the fight of her life with his best friend _inside_ her dreams! Someone had decided to throw them through the Twilight Zone door! Jennifer's report on their status wasn't helping any either. "Can't you help them? Give them a sedative or something?"

The entire team was here, all watching as Sam and John shuddered every now and again, sometimes mumbling something, other times gasping and trembling as if in pain. Jennifer kept a dose of stimulant nearby just in case Sam went into a deeper coma like state. "I've already given them a high dose of sedatives. Anymore, and there's a risk their hearts might stop."

Rodney couldn't take this, but he couldn't leave either. It'd only been about ten minutes, but it was the longest ten minutes of his life.

* * *

Sam opened her eyes, and tried to control her breathing. Something had pushed her through the exit of a Stargate and as far as she knew, her molecules were supposed to have been spread along the wormhole and simply ejected from the matter stream. Instead, she could see stars.

Breathing in, she noted the tangy taste of reprocessed air. It was familiar, and not in a good way.

Feeling around, Sam realized she wasn't standing on anything solid. She was floating in freespace, literally. Looking around, instinctively using her spacesuit's thrusters to spin around, Sam saw that she was at the base of the Ori Supergate. The same place she'd been just a few years ago.

She was alone, and the fear of being abandoned hit hard. She'd watched Korolev get blown to bits, Cam and Daniel had been aboard. Turning back to the starscape, Sam saw lifeless husks of ships floating about, and one still moving with lights signifying life.

Sam clicked her radio on and called out. "This is Colonel Carter…can anyone hear me?"

Silence.

"This is Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter to anyone who can hear me…please respond." The fear was building up in her gullet. A space suit would only last her for awhile, if the ship in the distance didn't pick up her signal, she would eventually run out of oxygen and suffocate… or freeze in the cold of space… or be hit with a random burst of radiation from a nearby star, or…

* * *

John woke up with a hell of a headache. How could his head hurt if he was inside a freakin' dream that wasn't even…

"Sam!" John quickly looked around, he was somewhere he didn't recognize and Sam was nowhere around. The area looked burnt and trashed, almost like a museum fire. John tried to breath in, but quickly found it much harder than he was expecting. Struggling with every breath, he fell to one knee realizing that he was having trouble breathing because there _wasn't_ any air.

Choking, John fell to the ground clutching his neck. The burnt golden walls were _not_ the kind of place he'd want for a coffin, but at the moment, it didn't look like he had a choice.

* * *

Panic was something that rarely, if ever, struck Sam. But seeing what she assumed was Odyssey turning away, and now opening a hyperspace window, she screamed into her radio not caring if her eardrums burst from the encased sound. "_Odyssey! This is Carter! Come back!"_

Too late, and Odyssey vanished into the realm of hyperspace. Sam didn't know what to think or say, she just simply knew now that she was doomed and derelict, that time was the only factor in her inevitable merging with the rest of the torn Jaffa and Lucian Alliance ships.

She would have screamed if she thought it made a difference.

* * *

John could feel the vision fading from the sides, his head wasn't getting any oxygen and he was suffering hypoxia. He grunted and forced his muscles to compress, forcing what was left of his blood to rush to his head and alleviate the trauma. It was a purely instinctual reaction, and only when he couldn't feel his hands and feet was he left with nothing but his mind.

This was a _dream._ It _wasn't_ real.

An epiphany struck John, and he realized what was missing here. _You think that's air you're breathing?_

Calm, all of a sudden things made sense. John held his breath, now focusing on the fact that this _was _a dream, and as such, something he should be able to influence.

It was like he'd turned on a light bulb, and all of a sudden he found his vision returning. He could breath, or rather, he didn't _need_ to breath. The feeling in his arms and legs restored almost instantly, and John got up to a sitting position. He finally recognized where he was, it was the bridge of a Ha'tak. Rodney had always lamented never getting to go on one despite having the schematics for it. The distinct Egyptian architecture, or at least what John assumed was Egyptian gave it away.

He looked down at his hands, and began to chuckle. "Huh, there really _is_ no spoon."

Getting up, John began to examine his surroundings. The bridge was burnt because the entire forward section had evidently been hit directly with a weapon's blast. John had seen video of the Ori's weapons and knew the level of damage they could cause. Curious with his apparent Neo-like abilities, John stepped out into the expanse of space, and wasn't too surprised when he began to float.

Floating in space with no space suit, no rebreather, and just the BDU's he'd been imagining. This _was_ a dream! "Sam?"

* * *

Sam had already closed her eyes to keep the tears from spilling. She'd try to remain calm, to keep her body as relaxed as possible to conserve her oxygen. It was _possible_ that Odyssey could come back. It wasn't as ridiculous an idea as blowing up a sun,but it already felt like hours. She'd just been drifting, too far from anything to possibly save her.

She was floating towards the broken Ha'Taks, but at this range and at this speed, the calculations were just too slim. If she had access to a computer…

_"Sam?"_

She heard the voice, but it seemed to be coming through her radio. "Hello!?" Sam desperately asked. _Anyone_ who could hear her was better than floating alone between stars. "This is Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter! Who is this?!"

_"**Lieutenant **Colonel? Sam, it's John."_

Sam could swear it was familiar, but then a fear came to her, she must have been hallucinating. "John? John who?" Talking to a hallucination was better than silence. She suddenly understood Castaway in a manner she never did before.

_"John _who_? John **Sheppard!** Come on, Sam! Snap out of it!"_

She snorted derisively. "John Sheppard? Come on, you can do better than that. You might as well say your name is John Wayne."

A groan of irritation, and Sam heard "John" mutter. "_Sam, I see you. You're in a space suit in front of that huge Stargate, but this isn't real. You're dreaming and this is just the crystal entity messing with your mind."_

Sam couldn't believe it. Just a few hours and already she was succumbing to cabin fever. "A dream? Oh God… I'm delusional."

To her surprise, "John" huffed in irritation and spoke again, this time much more tersely. "_Sam, You. Are. Dreaming. We're on Atlantis right now and Doctor Keller and Rodney are monitoring us. We used that VR training dealy to link minds so I could back you up here."_

Somehow, the terse annoyed voice seemed to chip away at something, Sam scrunched her brow and asked. "Rodney? Rodney McKay?"

_"Yep, Meredith Rodney McKay."_

Hearing the Canadian scientist's full name sparked something in Sam's mind, and all of a sudden, things began to make more sense.

Floating in front of the shattered Ha'tak, John focused on Sam's tiny white space suit in front of the Supergate. Sam's voice suddenly sounded much clearer and focused. "_John? John! Wha… Where are you!?"_

Before John could reply, John felt something tap his shoulder. The shock had him spin around, but the other John reached out from his own position floating behind him. His hand wrapped around John's mouth and squeezed hard enough for John to be unable to say anything, He raised his other hand and used his index finger to silence John. With a devious smile, he replied to Sam. "I'm on the other side of the 'gate. You've got to turn around and come closer."

John punched at the entity, desperately trying to free himself, but it had inhuman strength and merely chuckled away any pain it might have felt. John finally concentrated, and to his surprise, was able to have a mental conversation with the other John. _"You're trapped. If you can read our minds you know you don't have any escape."_

The entity raised an eyebrow. "Who says I want to escape? I'm having fun."

Confident that he could at least warn Sam, John raised his foot and screamed. _"There is no Spoon!"_ Surprising even himself, the Entity flew back a few feet from the surprise attack. It shook of the confusion, but not before John screamed. "Sam! It's a trick! There is no spoon!" He hoped that she understood, but the entity rushed forward and punched him across the face sending him flying back.

_"John? Spoon? What are you talking about?"_

"Lucid dreaming!"

_"John? Where are you? John!"_

Evidently, John had lost his connection, he managed to right himself and face the entity again. "You can't win! You _need_ us to survive!"

The entity laughed out loud, and then turned to the Supergate and raised his hand. "That's where you're wrong."

Seemingly dialing the gate with his hand, John realized that Sam was directly in the path of the unstable Kawoosh it would generate. _"SAM!!!"_

It was too late, and John heard Sam cry out over her radio. _"John! The 'gate! It's…" _Her rapid fire exclamation ended with a shrill scream as the _Kawoosh_ flashed open, vaporizing everything in its path… including Sam.

* * *

**A/N:** _Eeek!_


	5. Chapter 5

_"_Get the crash cart ready, _now!"_ Jennifer screamed her orders, quickly regretting having allowed this to happen. Rodney and Radek were going crazy trying to figure out if it was mechanical failure or something else. Jennifer just wanted to bring Sam back from this sudden heart stoppage.

John's body wasn't in any better condition. Marie tried to control his shaking and just held him down while more orderlies brought their equipment. Finally, the crash cart was at her side and the orderly quickly got it ready. Jennifer tore open Sam's shirt, exposing her skin and took a deep breath. "Charge to 200…Clear!"

* * *

John opened his eyes, and suddenly felt very different. Something was _very_ different. He wasn't hurting from the beating he'd taken, but at the same time, things didn't exactly feel right.

"So… _Lieutenant Colonel,_ huh?" John spun around and saw that he was on the balcony of the Gate Room of Atlantis and he wasn't alone.

"Sumner?"

The tall skinny man looked exactly as John had left him. Dead, a burst of P90 fire across his chest and his body desiccated from the Wraith feeding. "Surprised?"

John tried to think about how this was possible. There was only one explanation that made sense. "Uhh… No. Guess I'm dead?"

Sumner shrugged and deadpanned. "No, but you should be." Sumner scoffed softly and turned away from John. "That's the luck, huh? You shoot your commanding officer and you get a nice fat promotion for it. If I still had a stomach, you'd make me sick."

The words cut deep. John turned his head away and clenched his teeth. "I didn't have a choice. What else could I have done?" A wisp of something came to him. This wasn't real. "I made my peace about you. I hate what happened but there was _no other way._"

"And what about me?"

John turned, recognizing the voice. "Holland… guess this is the only place I'll ever see you, huh?" Sumner was gone, but Holland stood inside the Gate Room waving him inside. The Stargate was active, glowing a pale blue and illuminating the otherwise dark Gate Room. "I tried. You can't ask me for more than that." John tried to keep his voice strong, but given all that had happened since that fateful day, he wasn't so sure anymore.

Holland shrugged as John followed him across the Gate Room into the Control Room. "You're right, but you still failed. Kind of a habit don't you think?"

John didn't reply, instead just rubbed his forehead trying to figure out what the hell was going on. "We were in a war. People die. I _tried_ to save you! Dammit, I…"

"That's more than you did for me."

Now alarmed, John spun around and saw yet another face he'd left behind. "Ford…"

The young lieutenant was leaning on the pillar at the side of the control room. His face was still messed up from the enzyme. "You never even _bothered_ to look for me. I had to come and find _you_ just so you could leave me behind _again."_

John shook his head. "No…no dammit. That's _not_ what happened!"

In order, Sumner's, Holland's and Ford's voices began to bombard him. John lost all sense of direction and spun around, the world spinning even faster around him. They were all accusing him, Sumner of killing him, Holland of not saving him, and Ford for not even finding out. John took his head in his hands and tried to combat the Earth-rending headache he suddenly had. The three men's voices suddenly were joined by others, all accusing John all blaming him for some horrible crime.

Just as he had somewhat reoriented himself, he saw Sam standing before him in her Atlantis jumpsuit, she had a hurt and angry facial expression. "You let me die, John. I trusted you and you let me die."

"No... No I…" Before he knew what was happening, he found himself falling, the sharp edges of the Gate Room stairs raking across his back. Rolling as he fell, John curled into a ball to prevent himself from getting too hurt, but he still slammed into the floor hard enough to draw a grunt of pain. He lay on his back on the floor, the voices having stopped and now, a single voice softly speaking. "Get up, John."

It couldn't be, she was gone, he'd left her and it still haunted him. This _had_ to be a nightmare, this couldn't _possibly_ be the afterlife unless…

_"Elizabeth…"_

Forcing himself to his knees, John raised his head and saw her. Just as she'd always looked in her red sweatshirt. She had one eyebrow raised and an accusing face. "You let us all _die_, John. You don't deserve to be here."

John felt his jaw trembling, he had no answer. His body rocked back to the ground and his tight and curled right fist supported him on the floor. He was just about to say something when he noticed someone starting at him from nearby.

Himself. "_You!"_

The other John smiled deviously and stepped out from the shadows under the bridge to Sam's office. He shrugged almost playfully "Me."

John shook his head clear. Everything came rushing back to him and he knew that this was just a dream. He realized that the entity had likely killed Sam and was now in him, and even though his veins were only imaginary, he felt the adrenal wrath burning inside. "You _bastard!"_

Rushing up to his feet, realizing that Elizabeth and all the others had moved off and were watching them, John jumped in a flying tackle at the doppelganger of himself. On impact, John drove his knee up and into the entity's gut, but despite the hard hit, it rolled with him and managed to buck him off.

Landing in a roll, John got to his feet and screamed at it. "_I'm not afraid of you!"_

The other John got to his feet easily as well, and just laughed at John's screams. He stood there laughing as John charged forward again and delivered three bone-crushing punches to its face ending with a fisted backhand, but no discernable damage was made. "_Ha-ha-ha!_ You _idiot!_ I'm the _ONLY_ thing you're afraid of!" With an evil grin, it coiled up and backhanded John across the face.

John had been hit before, but this was like Ronon had smacked him with a sledgehammer. He flew back and flipped end over end landing again on the Gate Room floor. Were he really here and not just a dream version of himself, he had no doubt that the hit would have knocked him clean out. Groaning, John got back to his feet and charged fighting back even harder.

* * *

Drawing in a sharp and pained gasp of air, Sam bucked up off the stretcher and her hands went for her throat. She panted tremendously, feeling a huge need for air.

"_Whoa!_ Calm down! Easy, Colonel, easy…"

Sam looked around desperately, her jumpsuit was open and she felt the distinct cold gel of a defibrillator. Rodney had come to her side as well, but he kept shooting glances over at John on the bed next to her. "Sam! Are you okay?"

Taking deep breaths, realizing just how close it had been with the entity, Sam rubbed her face roughly as she trembled. The last thing she remembered was the SuperGate activating, and… "John! Is he okay?!"

Jennifer kept a reassuring hand on Sam's shoulder, but her attention was on John who was at the side shaking and making soft pained grunts. "I don't know, his heart rate is reaching dangerous levels and it looks like he's having seizures. I don't know whether I can pull him out or not without killing him."

Rodney made a dejected moan and said. "Well, can't you give him a sedative or stimulant or something? Wake him up?"

Sam looked over, John was obviously in the fight of his life. Jennifer made an irritated sound in her throat and tersely said. "_I can't, _Doctor. He's already in extreme hyperactivity, a stimulant could kill him!"

Now Sam was finally understanding; something had happened. "Wait, so the entity is in _him _now?"

Rodney nodded, and hovered his hand over Sam's shoulder unsure of whether to squeeze or not. "When you… well... Doctor Keller had to revive you and as soon as she hit you with the paddles it jumped. Caught us off guard."

John's life was in immediate danger, and Sam had finally caught her breath. Quickly, the logic centers of her mind began to race, and she turned to Rodney. "_Why_ did it jump?"

* * *

John groaned in pain, but he was _not_ giving up! _There is no spoon!_

The other John bent over to grab John by the back of his collar and picked him up with one hand. "Come on! You can do better than this!" With an easy look about it, the entity flung John again across the Gate Room, slamming him into the wall below the control center hard enough to dent the metal. John cried out in pain, it seemed there really _was_ a spoon.

Trying to roll over to get to his feet, John just didn't have it in him anymore. The fight with this entity had drained him severely. He just couldn't keep going.

The entity used its foot to finish rolling John onto his back, and screamed at him. _"Fight!_ Come on! You're pathetic and you know it! That's why you couldn't save _any_ of them! You let Heightmeyer die! You let Carter die! You're _weak!"_

"Think again!" To John's surprise, another voice was added to the din, but this one wasn't blaming him. He craned his neck over and saw Sam, only this one dressed in expedition leathers instead of a jumpsuit. She looked _pissed._ "I think you're going to want to let go of my second in command."

The entity turned to Sam and made a curious sound. "Huh?" Seeing that Sam was serious, he forgot all about John and took menacing steps towards Sam.

Just as he reached out with his arms for her. A massive burst of electricity came out of the air itself and wrapped around the entity drawing a pained scream from him. Sam smiled deviously and moved over to help John up. "It tried to kill me, but when Jennifer revived me, it ran away from the electric shock."

John didn't really care, the voices accusing him had stopped, and Sam's help up felt surprisingly reassuring. "Electric shock? You mean…?" He made a motion towards his chest with his hand, and used both to mimic a defibrillator paddle.

Sam winced as she nodded. "Just a quick shock. You'll be fine." She turned to the entity who spasmed from the electric shocks zapping him randomly. He was standing in front of the stargate and struggling to stay on his feet.

John followed her, watching as the image of himself was tormented by the current of lightning. "Payback's a bitch, huh?"

Sam didn't even slow down, she completely ignored the lighting whizzing past her and sauntered up to face the entity. "Get the hell out." She coiled and grunted loudly as she threw a solid right hook into the entity's face. It flew back from the hit and through the Stargate, which shut down moments later.

Silence, only this time, instead of dread, both Sam and John felt relief. She turned back to John who was still rubbing his nose in some strange sense of pain. Sam's voice had a strange amusement to it. "That was oddly satisfying."

Harrumphing, John shook off the pain and looked at Sam with a sarcastic expression. "Gee, thanks. Next time you're stressed out, try not to tenderize _this_ face, would you?"

Snorting at his recovered sense of humor, Sam moved forward and took John's shoulder in her hand. "You okay?"

John sighed and nodded as be bowed his head. "Yeah… yeah. Guess that's one way to face your fears."

**_*Squeak*_**

Both John and Sam shirked at the odd sound, and turned towards it. John leaped back and Sam could swear he'd almost decided to use her as a shield. Sam did a double take as she saw what had caused John such anxiety. "The hell? A _clown_?"

John grimaced as he saw the multicolored and sad looking clown that had appeared right behind and groaned his reply pointing at the clown with his hand. "_Not you!_" he then pointed back towards the 'gate. "_Him!"_

* * *

Awakening from whatever state of sleep he was in, John groaned as his body still felt sore from the fight with the entity. How it translated from the dream into the real world wasn't something he really wanted to consider. Opening his eyes, he saw his team, Ronon, Teyla, Rodney and even Radek and Jennifer looking down at him with smiles.

Saying nothing, he turned his head around and looked. The crystal he'd touched that had started this whole mess was glowing again. The entity had retreated and they'd won. That only left…

"Sam?"

Rodney harrumphed a bit and muttered. "Figures. Even Freddy Krueger and a high powered tazer can't slow him down."

Teyla furrowed her brow and smacked Rodney's shoulder in chiding "_Rodney!"_ She turned back to John with a reassuring smile. "John, Colonel Carter is…"

"I'm _fine_, John."

Turning towards her voice, he saw Sam groan softly herself as she sat up on the bed. She finished zipping up her jumpsuit and gave him a very bewildered look. "I'm not even going to ask about that last bit."

Ronon grunted in amusement and his devious smile said all he needed to know. Rodney on the other hand became instantly curious. "What? What last bit?" he turned to John and gasped. "The hot women! I _knew_ it!"

John moaned just a little more than his soreness would have implied and palmed his forehead in dejection. Yep, things were getting back to normal alright.

* * *

**A/N: _LOL_**


	6. Epilogue

**_Epilogue_**

Sitting in the mess hall balcony, John wasn't too surprised when he heard light footsteps behind him. They were too light to be Rodney or Ronon, and not light enough to be Teyla who would accidentally sneak up on him. He said nothing though and simply took another sip of the chamomile tea Doctor Keller had recommended. It was disgusting, but at least he might be able to go to sleep _eventually._

"Can't sleep?" John turned his head and saw Sam in more casual clothing than typical heading around the table to sit down. Just a simple black sweatshirt and expedition pants. She'd rolled her sleeves up and looked like she'd been awake for hours. "Yeah, me neither."

John sighed softly and set the tea down on the table. He couldn't really think of anything to say. He'd seen a side of Sam that he knew only a few must have known. John felt like an outsider suddenly thrust into the middle of Sam's private thoughts.

Sam for that matter caught his mood instantly, leaned forward on the table and took a few M&Ms from the little bowl he'd put there. "Guess you've never experienced anything like that before, huh?" John gave Sam a pointed look and Sam meekly popped an M&M into her mouth. "Sorry, stupid question." She sighed and then played with a few more candies in her hand. "Well, let's look at it this way; at least we kinda got to know each other a little better."

John couldn't help it and snorted softly. He made sure no one was around and deadpanned. "We could've just had lunch."

Sam snickered quietly in her throat. With the joke, she was reassured that John was getting over it. They might talk about it someday, but Sam knew he may have seen the different facets of her deepest fears, but they all amounted to the same theme. Sam had seen in one glimpse the thing that made John quiver in his boots… and now they were on even terrain.

Unsurprisingly, Teyla and Ronon joined them after a minute. Both gave small simple nods and it was plainly understood that they couldn't sleep either. Sam moved her chair over a few moments later when Jennifer arrived, seemingly having read their minds and bringing a tea kettle.

The impromptu "party" was silent, everyone still obviously in a dark mood. It was quickly shattered when Rodney's voice came from behind. "Oh, you're all here… I uhh.. I was just gonna snack on something before I…"

John turned his head around, stared at Rodney incredulously for a few seconds, and then muttered. "We can't sleep either, McKay. Just sit down."

Obedient, Rodney sat down with a plate of reheated leftovers from earlier in the day. The smell was quickly waking the group up and it was oddly appreciated.

Jennifer was the first to speak, finally breaking the monotony. "So… how many of you are going to want sleeping pills?"

Ronon grunted and flexed his hand hard enough to crack his knuckles. "I'll take a stim. No way am I sleeping again."

John smirked at the Satedan's blunt humor and added. "At least you didn't kick your own ass. Gives new meaning to 'beating yourself up.'" He looked across the table to Sam, who instantly got the double meaning behind his words.

Rodney snorted softly and took a bite of the strange casserole. "It's weird that it'd choose to look like you even to yourself. You'd think it'd pick something you're scared of."

Both Ronon and Teyla now shared dark looks with John. The Canadian scientist was never one for picking up subtle social cues, but they'd learned to deal with it. His other strengths and loyalties made up for those shortcomings. Teyla said, "I guess we'll never really know exactly how much the entity was able to learn of us. The thought that something could pervert your thoughts into such nightmares…"

Sam then spoke in a thoughtful tone, obviously quite tired, but not so much she couldn't think laterally. "Sometimes the things that scare us isn't what's there, but rather what's _not_ there."

Nobody could really think of a reply to that, but looking at each other from across the table, John gave Sam a silent thanks for deflecting the issue. They'd already solidified their mutual support in leading the expedition and now, with just a little knowledge of each others weaknesses, they could cover and support each other even more effectively. Maybe in the long run, this traumatic incident would turn out for the better.

John didn't want to think about it now though, he just wanted to finish his tea, and then pray to God that he was too tired to have a nightmare. Across from him, Sam silently wished the same, and glancing at the faces around her correctly assumed the others were thinking the same thing.

* * *

**Final A/N:** Hope you enjoyed! :D


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